


The Time of Parting Has Come

by PartridgeOnAPearTree



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: M/M, Read my notes, This ship literally does not exist, Why am I torturing myself this way, solomon spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 16:38:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19113598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PartridgeOnAPearTree/pseuds/PartridgeOnAPearTree
Summary: It was a very unlikely relationship.During life, Bedivere has never really had time to engage in romantic relations. The farthest he has gone is casual and on-the-surface flirtation with some village ladies, flirtation that aren’t even anywhere on the level the likes of Sir Lancelot or Sir Tristan would consider ‘flirtation’.It was a very unlikely relationship.Bedivere was a servant, a Heroic Spirit, beings summoned by the grail from another era sustained by magical energy. He was not originally from the twenty-first century. He was a knight of King Arthur from the sixth century, and with the knowledge granted to him as a Heroic Spirit, he learned that he and everyone else he knew are even people that modern humans believe to have never existed, to be nothing but fictional characters in a popular legend.It was an unlikely relationship.Him, Bedivere, a servant from the sixth century and Romani Archaman, a human being from the twenty-first century.





	The Time of Parting Has Come

**Author's Note:**

> listen... ples don't judge me too hard for writing this non-existent ship. i got shuten recently so i played her interlude and romani willingly gave into her demands bc... of her asmr voice?? bc she was recognizing his talent???? my friend and i proceeded then to joke abt romani's praise kink but like. i'm too broken over what happened to him to even write porn of him.
> 
> but anyway i was like. the characters on this game always rip on romani. but who was it that praised him??? that person who had romani say "hurray! a servant who finally understands me! to think the day i'd be praised so much would actually come!"
> 
> bedi. bedi, that's who.
> 
> anyway enough me justifying this non-existent ship, they're two good boys so this can't be anything bad. enjoy!!!
> 
> LAST NOTE: there are a lot of lines here that are direct copies from actual dialogue in-game bc i like using actual lines only to pepper my own lines in them haha makes it blend cleanly... i can almost fantasize it's real...

It was a very unlikely relationship.

 

During life, Bedivere has never really had time to engage in romantic relations. The farthest he has gone is casual and on-the-surface flirtation with some village ladies, flirtation that aren’t even anywhere on the level the likes of Sir Lancelot or Sir Tristan would consider ‘flirtation’.

 

Right, perhaps, “you look wonderful today, my lady” really is not considered ‘flirtation’, but anyway. Romance was never really any of his priorities. He was just a simple knight who wanted to serve the king in his own simple way, the best that a simple and normal person could manage.

 

But being in Chaldea, being summoned as a servant, was like a completely different extension of life. A different era, different people, different role—when he was a dedicated knight back then focused on fighting for Camelot, now, he is a hero who has to work on saving the world. More often than not, he wonders if he truly is deserving of being called a ‘hero’, the same word to describe all the other greater people around him.

 

But he is not here to think of his shortcomings.

 

It was a very unlikely relationship.

 

He is here to think of the unlikely relationship he has formed.

 

Bedivere was a servant, a Heroic Spirit, beings summoned by the grail from another era sustained by magical energy. He was not originally from the twenty-first century. He was a knight of King Arthur from the sixth century, and with the knowledge granted to him as a Heroic Spirit, he learned that he and everyone else he knew are even people that modern humans believe to have never existed, to be nothing but fictional characters in a popular legend.

 

Someone like him, forming a relationship with a human person from the modern era, would be unlikely and unnatural. That is not something that would happen.

 

Doctor Romani Archaman was the head of the medical department and the acting director of Chaldea. One of his many jobs is to be in-charge of monitoring the health of humanity’s one and only available master, a young woman named Fujimaru Ritsuka. Ritsuka was simple like himself, at first glance seemingly carefree, but when one observes her eyes closer, it is easy to see that this young woman is also a brave hero who has overcome many challenges larger than herself.

 

With just observing deeper, it becomes quite easy to see that it was an insult to Ritsuka for Bedivere to even compare her to himself solely because of simplicity.

 

But going back to Doctor Roman.

 

He has always said that he liked being called Roman. Bedivere used to call him the very formal ‘Lord Magus’ before Roman gave him a gentle smile and suggested Bedivere use his shortened name instead. Bedivere has been called ‘Bedi’ by other people before—the great wizard, Merlin; the strong holy woman, Xuanzang Sanzang—but calling someone a shortened name was new for him at the time.

 

He remembers coughing out the name ‘Roman’, very much flustered, the heat on his face unforgettable until the present time. His embarrassment only dissipates when he sees how happy Roman looked being called this way. Ever since then, it became much easier. Roman. Roman. Roman. Just smoothly flows, effortlessly escapes his lips.

 

He knew Roman to be a normal person. Normal, but still incredibly talented. He gets tired like everyone else but yields very stellar results. It was easy to overlook his abilities as he usually was kept company by none other than Leonardo da Vinci, an actual genius, but Bedivere could see how capable Roman was. He remembers, just by hearing Roman’s voice, he felt the other’s delicacy coupled with the strength of his heart, the other’s intelligence and quick wit.

 

And all of this was accompanied by dedication and hard work.

 

One time, on the way to his own room, he notices that the light of Chaldea’s control room was still open. It was very late at night, and even the extremely populous Chaldea had its hallways empty. Thinking that someone might have accidentally left the light on, Bedivere headed to the room, only to see that there was Doctor Roman, still slaving away in front of his computer and the other technology Chaldea has but Bedivere cannot name. Roman looked so absorbed in his work, his gentle eyes—although keeping the mellow and comforting expression they always have—look exhausted. He had an empty mug of what Bedivere guesses to be coffee on his desk.

 

Roman would not even notice his presence had he not spoken up.

 

“…Doctor Roman?” Bedivere remembers sounding so meek, still wondering if interrupting someone obviously working so hard is the right thing to do.

 

Roman visibly jolts. He really did not take notice that there was already someone with him in the room. He turns to Bedivere, and he immediately smiles like he always does. Always energetic, always comforting, like the man earlier who was extremely exhausted was suddenly gone. “Oh, Sir Bedivere! You're still awake! What can I do for you?”

 

“I was going to my room when I noticed the light was still on. I hadn’t expected that you'd still be working at this hour.”

 

“Ah, I was just finishing something. I’ll also turn in for the night just a bit more.”

 

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

 

Roman looks like he contemplates the question for a while. “Yes, please. If it’s okay, can you get me another mug of coffee? The coffee maker is just there, but I couldn’t find a good time to stand.”

 

“Of course. Please leave it to me. I’ll be staying just in case you need something else.”

 

“Thank you. That’s really nice of you, Bedivere.”

 

Bedivere does make the coffee and stays. And although Roman said that he ‘was just finishing something’, the night continued until Bedivere had to make three more mugs of coffee for him. Every half hour, he would ask Bedivere if he really does not want to go ahead and sleep already, to which Bedivere would answer no, it's okay, I'm fine with staying. After the fourth time, Roman stopped asking.

 

This became a semblance of routine. Of course, it didn’t happen nightly, as even someone as hardworking as Roman should have physical limitations. But it would happen at most thrice a week, and Bedivere would always be there to brew coffee for him. They wouldn’t speak aside from the ‘ah, my coffee ran out again’ and ‘it’s okay, let me make you a new one’, but somehow, Bedivere still found his presence so comforting.

 

It wasn’t that he enjoyed watching Roman pushing himself to the limit. It’s just that there was something inspiring about seeing the work Roman does. Maybe he just identifies with Roman, being someone relatively normal with talented people as constant company. But he has found that watching Roman like this was an action that was born from admiration aside from his obvious concern.

 

He realized that he admired Doctor Roman and cherished seeing him work like this.

 

Maybe it was around their tenth night together when Bedivere suddenly says something outside their usual exchanges regarding coffee. Up until now, he does not know what came over him. But as he handed Roman his fourth mug of coffee for the night, he suddenly said, “I really, truly admire you, and I appreciate your work, Doctor.”

 

Their fingers touched as Roman takes the mug from him. “Thank you, Bedivere. I appreciate you always joining me here. I want to work hard, but I think, halfway there, I kind of wanted to impress you too, so that makes me happy.”

 

“Impress… me?”

 

 “Yup. I think I have a bit of a crush on you, that’s why.”

 

“E-Excuse me?”

 

“S-Sorry!” Roman sounded so assertive ever since the conversation began that the sudden apology was unexpected. “Ugh… I was trying hard to sound cooler, but I'm really not pulling it off… I just made things awkward now…”

 

“N-No, it’s fine. Um.” A crush. Suddenly, things started to make sense. A crush. He had a crush on Doctor Roman. That was why he kept on feeling like he wanted to be around the other and help out whenever he can. “I think… I have a bit of a crush on you too, so… please don’t worry.”

 

“E-Eh? You do?” For the first time in all of their nights together, Roman’s attention was on something that wasn’t his work. “I can’t believe it… Da Vinci said that might be the case, but…”

 

“W-What? Lady Da Vinci said that?”

 

“I mean, I didn’t believe it! I thought she was just teasing me because I said I liked you! But um,” Roman clears his throat. “Sorry. I'm really not cool, and I can’t say this as smoothly as I like, but I really, really like you, Bedivere. Maybe, just maybe… You'd like to date me?”

 

“O-Oh, uh—”

 

“Wait, sorry, that didn’t sound quite right either!” Roman sighs, his hand running through his hair. “Please go out with me… no, that’s too much of a cliché… would you like to go out? Not too… May we—”

 

“Um,” Bedivere puts a hand on Roman’s arm, probably the boldest action he has ever done. “It’s okay. I understand what you're trying to say. I-I’d love to.”

 

“Seriously!?” Roman almost looked terrified. “Oh, god… Did I pass out? Did the coffee finally stop working for me?”

 

“No, you're very much awake.” Bedivere lightly squeezes his arm. “I-I do like you, Doctor. I’d be honored to go out with you.”

 

Roman’s sudden and tight hug that moment was something that Bedivere could never forget. The embrace was so tight, almost as if Roman was reassuring himself that he was indeed awake. Bedivere was not used to physical contact, especially not a hug as firm as this, but it felt like this was the place where he belongs. This being in the comfort of Roman’s arms.

 

Their routine of staying together while Roman works started to have some gentle kisses in between, short breaks of Roman resting his head on Bedivere’s lap, an embrace from Bedivere’s back while Bedivere makes coffee.

 

It was an unlikely relationship.

 

Him, Bedivere, a servant from the sixth century and Romani Archaman, a human being from the twenty-first century.

 

Even so, they were two people who simply worked hard and gave everything their best, even if their limitations felt so apparent especially compared to everyone else. Despite being from two completely different eras, their similarities were enough for Bedivere to feel like he was at home. He belonged in Roman’s embrace. He never doubted that.

 

Even as it turned out that Romani Archaman was nothing but a created existence, as it turned out that the simple man he knew was a king chosen by god—The King of Mages, no less—as it turned out that the human being that he knew was a servant like himself—The Grand Caster, even—as it turned out that all their similarities, the simplicity, the normalcy, the limits; ended up being inaccurate—

 

He did not doubt that he belonged in Roman’s embrace. He could not doubt that he belonged in Roman’s embrace. Especially not when it was the warmest place he has been in a thousand and five hundred years. The only place that was warm enough.

 

But he supposes that it kind of hurt that all of these things are things he could not even learn firsthand. He could not do anything but listen as Ritsuka tells him everything—how Roman suddenly showed up during the fight against Goetia, how he revealed that he was the real King Solomon all along, how it was made clear that he has been expecting that he will have to do this for some time now.

 

His trump card, apparently.

 

It kind of hurt that he cannot do anything but just believe everything he is hearing. Of course, Ritsuka was a kind-hearted person who will not jest about such a serious matter, but like this, it all just sounds incredibly surreal.

 

Roman—who would playfully slip his ring on Bedivere’s ring finger, joking that they should get married when the Grand Order finally gets completed—was King Solomon. That ring, which he thought was just a normal ring Roman kept around, was the last ring of King Solomon. Roman, who would talk about marriage and basically the idea of a future, knew all this time that he had the possibility of dying just to save everything.

 

It was just so difficult to believe. Even more so than the idea that heroes who have long been dead can be summoned back to the present time.

 

Tears threatened to spill out of his eyes, but he holds them back. He didn’t want to disgrace himself in front of Ritsuka who is doing a good job holding herself together.

 

“But he did say to tell you that he has left something for you.” Ritsuka says. Her voice was quiet, but when she drops that line, it was as if it was all Bedivere could hear. “He said it was on the computer he always used. You’d know which one, according to him.”

 

Bedivere hurriedly thanks Ritsuka and leaves, back to that room that has already become too familiar to him. It started to feel harder to restrain his tears the moment he steps into the room. He has already associated this room with Roman. In fact, it even still smells a bit like him. If he lets himself dream enough, he could even visualize Roman still hunched over the desktop with that contemplative look on his face.

 

This time, it was he who occupies that place. _This isn’t your place_. He hears a voice in his head saying. This does not feel right. Roman should be the one sitting here. He should be somewhere in this room, and Bedivere should be making coffee for him. This feels wrong.

 

With the best of his abilities, with the best of what knowledge the grail has granted him for this era, he navigates through the numerous files of the computer. It was not even on a difficult location. He quite easily finds a file called ‘Bedivere’. It was meant to be found easily. He checks the time of creation of the file, and it turns out that it has been in the computer ever since the temple of time has been located.

 

The idea that Roman was writing whatever was inside as early as that broke his heart somehow.

 

He opens the file as fast as he can.

 

Or at least he tries, until he gets notified that it was a password-protected file. _Hint: I love you_ , it says. He types his own name even as insecurity starts to rear its ugly head.

 

And he hadn’t really expected it to work.

 

But this felt familiar. Roman, the Roman he knew, was a simple man. Just straightforward clues, no complicated tricks. If he says ‘I love you’, he must be talking about his significant other just like a normal person would.

 

_My beloved Bedivere._

 

Bedivere could almost hear Roman’s voice as he continues reading.

 

_There are many kinds of secrets, but mine is basically a lie of omission at this point. If I think about it logically, when the truth about the relationship between me and the previous director comes to light, you might hate me. But still, I can’t tell anyone. If the man claiming to be Solomon really is Solomon, that very secret will be our trump card._

_But if the enemy learns the truth, and has time to prepare… we’ll lose our advantage. I couldn’t tell you even to the very end. The fact that you're reading this now must mean that the secret has already come to light. By extension, that must mean that I'm gone as well. At this point, the only thing that I’ll be able to say is that I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you had to find out this way. I'm sorry for lying to you. I'm sorry for leaving you in the dark about the most important thing…_

_But I'm glad that I got to get close to you. You were a servant, but still, you were a normal person capable of understanding the worries of normal people. Instead of a genius, I find it good that there is someone like you in the side of saving the world, helping out everyone to the best of your abilities. I thought, isn’t that more of a display of mankind’s worth and value? That’s what King Solomon believed. And I think so too._

_Though… King Solomon and I are practically different people at this point. After all, he didn’t have any human sentiments. You see, every hero starts off human. They might have the blood of a god, or be the subject of a prophecy, but few are ever born heroes. First, they live human lives. They live as normal people until something pushes them beyond that, and they become true heroes—and become inhuman._

_But King Solomon—there was never a time when Solomon was human. From birth, he was treated as a king who could hear the voice of God. The people wanted him to be king, and so he became one. He was said to be a king of many loves, but in truth, they were all desired by the people around him, not for his own sake._

_He was not free for a single second of his life. He may have had the power to see everything, but he was forbidden to give his own opinions on anything. Solomon was more a mechanism than a man, one made by God and mankind to better their great kingdom. There's nothing humane about him at all._

_He died without ever really experiencing the world as a man. He has never afforded the freedom that is ‘humanity’._

_That’s why I wished to be human. I didn’t want to rule again. I just wanted to be human. I wanted to know what human freedom was like so badly… I wanted what every other Heroic Spirit experienced in life._

_And so, he was reborn… as me! King Solomon’s wish was granted. My time as Romani Archaman has been wonderful. My Magical Circuits were gone, my Clairvoyance was gone, and I was able to be truly free and live however I wished. This time I’ve had, it’s been like a dream. It was exactly what I wanted!_

_My nickname, Roman, of course, it meant something. People in King Solomon’s day didn’t have the mental flexibility humans do now. They could think as a society, but not really as individuals… There wasn’t much individualism. Many people could think freely if given the chance, but the basic mentality was that everyone obeyed the laws laid down by God._

_…So, when I learned the word ‘romance’, I was surprised, and even delighted. The freedom to dream of a future, the ambition to look for a better tomorrow… to know that the people who come after us would be capable of these things… I'm not entirely comfortable with the fact that the word ‘romance’ comes from the word ‘Rome’, but that doesn’t really matter. Even the mighty Rome that threatened Israel in the days of King Herod is gone now._

_The world of man changes. And if, in the midst of those changes, good things grow, so be it. Well, anyway, I liked the idea so much, I wanted people to call me Roman! When I became human, I wished to live like that from the bottom of my heart!_

_I think I was able to fulfill my wish. I got the freedom to dream of a future with you. Even if I knew that I could possibly be gone soon, I had fun imagining what it’d be like marrying you. This time, I could get married for my own sake. I could marry someone I loved instead of thinking of people under my rule or what God wills. This time, I could follow my own desires._

_It was great to imagine. On our wedding, we’ll definitely invite everyone, right? It will be a bit of a headache, but I'm sure it could also be a lot of fun. Your fellow Knights of the Round Table, King Arthur, Ritsuka, Mashu, Da Vinci, and all the Heroic Spirits from other eras. What food will we serve? Western? Eastern? A mix of everything to make everyone feel included? I know you're the type of person who won’t want to exclude anyone. I still remember the time when I asked you what you hated, and you said nothing comes to mind, not even the people you fought back in Camelot._

_We’re both men, but maybe, if we somehow get lucky and have leftover grails, we can wish for a child. I’ve never brought that up with you because it’s kind of embarrassing, but it’s something I think about. With how caring and loving you were, I'm sure you'd be an excellent father. If there's anyone I’d love to start a family with, it would be you. Sorry if this is getting a bit creepy, but this thought is an added inspiration for me to do well! I’ve been thinking, if ever it’s possible that I get a future where we raise a child together, then that’s all the more reason for me to work harder in repairing the world, right?_

_I don’t know if I'm able to convey my feelings properly, but what I'm saying is my life as Romani Archaman, this normal human life, my normal aspirations of marrying the person I love and starting a family, are all priceless to me. They're something that I won’t ever regret. And it just makes me even happier that I got to share them with you._

_I love you, Bedivere. Please don’t feel bad that we weren’t able to actualize these dreams. Just the fact that I was able to hold on to them as my hope for tomorrow was already enough for me. Even when I'm gone, my only wish is for you to continue being happy. It’s okay if you find someone else, fall in love with them, and maybe imagine your future with them instead. But just maybe, it’d be nice, if sometimes you can remember this simple and normal person named Romani Archaman who loved you with all his might._

_I wish you happiness, and may you be loved wherever you go._

_-_ _Roman_

 

\--

 

“So that’s what he said. That does sound like something he’ll say.” Merlin hums. “Naturally, I can do that, but would you really be fine with something like that? Won’t it hurt more?”

 

“No, it’s fine… I’d allow myself to be shameless just this once.” Bedivere couldn’t even lift his gaze from the floor.

 

“I’ll make the illusion as realistic as possible and officiate the wedding as well.” Merlin pats his arm. “Now, raise your head and be proud. It’s fine to be self-indulgent once in a while.”


End file.
